Engine-governor.



Patented Nov. l4, I899.

R. CUNRADER.

ENGINE GOVERNOR. (Application filed Nov. 25, 1898.)

(No Model.)

Mil/[N709 W BY WITNESSES.-

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH OONRADER, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ENGINE-GOVERNOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 636,764, datedNovember 14, 1899.

Application filed November 25, 1898. Serial No. 697,427. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH CONRADER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Governors; and -Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to en gine-governors; and it consists in certainimprovements in the construction thereof, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed ontin the claims.

More particularly, my invention relates to that class of governors knownas throttling governors. In carrying out my invention I utilize thecentrifugal force incident to rotating weights as opposed to acentripetal force arranged to balance or approximately balance thecentrifugal force incident to the rotation of the weights. Two meanshave been utilized for effecting this purposenamely, a spring tensionedand arranged to exert centripetal force upon the weights and weightedlevers also so arranged. Combinations of these two means have also beenused. In theory the centripetal force should exactly equal thecentrifugal force of the weights rotating at the desired speed at allpositions of the weights. This has been approximated with springs bygiving them what is known as theoretic tension, or a tension which comesto zero with the centers of gravity of the weights at the axis ofrotation with the strength and angle of the springs arranged to increasein tension in the same ratio-as the force of the weights with eachmovement of the weights at the desired speed. This result has beenapproximated with weighted levers by so connecting the weighted loversto the centrifugally-actin g weights as to change arm or leverage of theweighted lever in ratio to change in centrifugal force incident to therotation of the weights at their several positions.

While in theory theoretic tension should give an exactly even rotationof the engine at all loads, its operation in practice is notsatisfactory, because with the slightest change in the speed of theengine the change induced in the centrifugal force causes a movement ofthe nicely-balanced parts not merely to a position which willaccommodate the new load, but to the extreme ends of the travel of theweights, and this overreachin g of the movement of the weights, andconsequent action of the controlling-valve, causes a return movement ofthe weights to the opposite extreme, and this being repeated gives tothe engine an alternately higher and lower speed than that desired. Thisaction of the governor is commonly called racing. Two means have beenutilized for preventing this action. In one of them a dash-pot orretarding device is used, which prevents a rapid change in the positionof the weights, and consequently brings them to rest at the point Wherethe load is accommodated, so that the engine is brought to its normalspeed, thus balancing the cen-" trifugal and centripetal elements. Thismethod is objectionable because of the slowness of the governor to act,which slowness causes a momentary, but perceptible, change of speed ofthe engine where there is a sudden change of load. It is alsoobjectionable when applied to throttling-governors because the proximityof the governor to the steam-supply so heats the fluid used in thedash-pot as to seriously interfere with its successful operation. Theother means of overcoming racing is to have the centripetal elementincrease in strength at a greater ratio than the centrifugal forceincident to a change in the position of the weights, and vice versa.While this has the desired result of preventing rac ing, it isobjectionable because it gives to the engine a diiferent speed atdifierent loads.

The objects of my invention are to obviate in a large degree thesedefects, particularly when the centripetal element comprises a weightedlever or a spring acting upon a lever mechanism having changing-arm witheach change in position; also, to so arrange the parts of alever-operated governor as to inclose them in the weights when thegovernor is at rest, as well as details of construction and arrangement,as will more particularly appear in the claims.

A governor illustrating my invention is shown as follows: I

Figure 1 shows a section on the lines 1 1 in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 showsa section on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a section on ICO theline 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4: shows an elevation of the weight lookingfrom the right or left of Fig. 1.

A marks a valve-casing; A, a valve-chamber inclosed by said casing; B,the valve; 0, the Valve-stem; A an upright or frame supported by thevalve-casing; A a bridge-piece connecting said upright with a similarone (not shown) at the opposite side of the casing. These parts are ascommonly made.

On the top of the stem 0 is a head 0, having the slot 0 therein. A leverF is fulcrumed at f on a post A extending upwardly from thevalve-casing, and is loosely pivotally connected with the head 0 atfwithin the slot 0. A sliding weight F is arranged on the lever F and isprovided with a set-screw f A revolvinghead or carrierD is journaled bymeans of the sleeve D in the bridge-piece A A gear D is secured to thelower end of the sleeve and meshes a gear E, which is carried by a shaft(see dotted lines) journaled in the frame A A drive-pulley E is securedto said shaft and is to be driven by the engine to be governed. Therevolving head is provided with the lugs or ears (1, in'which arepivoted the weights G through the medium of the pins 9 and arms 9. Thearms g straddle the steadying-arms d. Bearings formed by the rollers dare placed on these arms and extend beyond the surface of the same, withjust suflicient play between the arms g to escape contact 011 theopposite side from which pressure is exerted.

The head a has a cup or socket c at its upper end, in which rests a stem0. The stem C extends upwardly through the sleeve D and head D. It hasthe cross-block c at its upper end, to which links 0 are pivoted bymeans of the pins 0 These links are also pivoted to the weights at a. Atthe closed position the centers of gravity of the weights are preferablynearer the axis of the carrier than the pivots g and at the extremeoutward position indicated by dotted lines are outside the pivots g.This eliminates largely the gravity of the weights from the problem ofcorrectly balancing the parts. Vhat little effect of gravity there ishelps in effecting the regulation of the governor, as hereinafterexplained. It will readilybe seen that as the weights move outwardly thelinks 6 are brought nearer to a straight line, so that a greatermovement of the stem 0 effects a smaller movement of the weights G. Thischange in direction and relation of the links changes the leverage ofthe weight F in approximately the ratio of the change of centrifugalforce with said movement of the weights at the desired speed. Thischange in leverage is not, however, in a constant ratio to the change incentrifugal force, but the forces operating upon the weights, includingthe gravity of the weights, may be represented by curves which cross ator near the point in the traverse of the weights where the governor ispositioned to accommodate the normal load.

At each side of this point the lines representing the forces recede fromeach other. The effect of this arrangement is to give theoreticaltension or an approximately equal centripetal and centrifugal force atthe position of the weights accommodating the normal load. From thispoint these forces do not change in the same ratio. This gives to thegovernor within the limits of its usual labor so nearly theoretictension as to insure a very rapid change of the parts with each changeof load and at the same time makes such a divergence from theoretictension with each change of position of the weights as to preventracing. This eifect is produced by the relation of the centers ofgravity of the weights to the pivots g and also by the relation of thepivots c? to the.pivots g, the arc movement of the pivots c changing theusual toggle-joint effect.

The bearings formed by rollers 01 are preferably placed at approximatelythe same height as the centers of gravity of the weights, so that theinertia forces incident to a change of speed of the weights aresustained directly by the rollers. This is quite important, because theinertia forces are present just at the time a movement of the weights isdesired.

It will be noted that when the governor is out of use it isautomatically closed, so that the working parts are protected from dust,and at the same time is so proportioned and shaped as to present a veryneat appearance.

Vhat I claim as new is 1. In an engine-governor, the combination with arotative carrier of a stem, 0', arranged to actuate the valve,said stempassing through said carrier at its axis; the links connecting said stemwith the centrifugally-acting governor-weights; and centrifugally-actinggovernor-weights arranged to inclose said links when said weights are intheir closed position.

2. In an engine-governor, the combination of a rotative carrier; weightspivoted on said carrier with their centers of gravity above theirpivots; a stem for-communicating movement from said weights to thevalve, said stem passing through said carrier at the axis; said valve;and links connecting said stem with said weights; said weightsbeingarranged to inclose said links and their connections when saidweights are in theirinner position.

3. In an engine-governor, the combination of a rotative carrier; acentrifugally-acting weight pivoted on said carrier, said weight beingarranged to move toward and from the axis of said carrier under theinfluence of cen trifugal and centripetal forces; and a roller journaledon said carrier arranged to sustain the inertia forcesincidentto achange of speed of said weight.

4:. In an engine-governor, the combination of a rotative carrier; acentrifugally-acting weight pivoted on said carrier, said weight beingarranged to move toward and from the axis of said carrier under theinfluence of centrifugal and centripetal forces; and a bearing arrangedto sustain the weight and to relieve the pivot of inertia forcesincident to a change of speed of said weight.

5. In an engine-governor, the combination of a rotative carrier; acentrifugally-acting weight pivoted on said carrier, said weight beingarranged to move toward and from the axis of said carrier under theinfluence of centrifugal and centripetal forces; and a roller journaledon said carrier, said roller being arranged to sustain the weight andrelieve the pivot of the inertia forces incident to a change of speed ofthe weight.

6. In an engine-governor, the combination of the lever, F; weight, F, onsaid lever; fulcrum for said lever; a governor-valve; astem communicating with said valve, said stem be ing arranged to be actuated bythe lever, F; stem, 0, also being arranged to be actuated by the lever,F; block, 0 on the stem, 0; links, 0 pivoted to said block; the rotativecarrier, D; the weights, G, pivoted on said cari'ier with the arms, g,straddling the arms, 01, on said carrier; the rolls, d in said arm, 01;and the pivots, a, connecting the links, a, with the weights, G.

7. In an engine-governor, the combination of the lever F; weight, F, onsaid lever; fulcrum for said lever; a governor-valve; a stemcommunicating with said valve, said stem being arranged to be actuatedby the lever, F; stem, 0, also being arranged to be actuated by thelever, F; block, 0 on the stem, 0; links, 0 pivoted to said block; therotative carrier, D; the weights, G, pivoted on the carrier with theircenters of gravity above their pivots; an arm extending from saidcarrier; the rolls, (1 in said arm; and the pivots, a, connecting thelinks, 0 with the weights, G.

8. In an engine-governor, the combination of the lever F; weight, F, onsaid lever; fulcrum for said lever a governor-valve a stem communicatingwith said valve, said stem being arranged to be actuated by the lever,F; stem, 0, also being arranged to be actuated by the lever, F; block, 0on the stem, 0; links, 0 pivoted to said block; the rotative carrier, D;the weights, G, pivoted on the carrier with their centers of gravityabove their pivots, said weights being adapted to inclose the block, 0and links, 0 when the weights are in their inner position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RUDOLPH CONRADER.

Witnesses:

H. Z. LORD, M. BURY.

